"What really is the difference between a 3, 4 or 5wt rod if you are throwing small flies. Not much! Sometimes I just grab a rod out of the back of my vehicle and make it work." - Anonymous
Very Low Tide
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The Ogunquit River was my first exposure to this type of fishing which is almost totally controlled by the tides. At low tide this 1/4 mile wide river would become a 1/4 mile wide mud flat with a tiny trickle connecting some stillwater tidal pools on it's way to the sea. There were schoolies in these pools that appeared to be left there with the shrinking tide. There were many and they chased every fly that I threw at them. Then the tide began to roll in and the bass began to do the "bonefish" thing by routing through the mud with their tails in the air. Soon the tide really came in and wading became a little too funky (thank you jet skis). I repeated this routine for four more mornings from 4am to about 8 as the family slept in and then a few casts in the evening. The rest of the day was spent with them. We were all happy!!!
I've been plying my trade on some NH estuaries with so-so results. Some claim great success and some claim "no runs, no hits, no errors". I'm in the middle (so far)!!
My 8wt Friend
The rod that I've used for stripers is a two piece 9 foot 8wt that I bought back in 1994 on the cheap!!! I didn't want to spend big bucks if I then realized that I didn't really like saltwater fly fishing. But I really did like it and the $60 rod has caught 100's and 100's of stripers and bluefish. I did get an 8wt 4pc for Florida (fits in the overhead) but my old friend is what I bring to the salt in New England. Yes, I'm in the Jack Gartside camp when it comes to fly fishing or I'm just a frugal Yankee who thinks it is disingenuous to complain about the price of gas while casting a $1000 fly rod.
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10 comments:
Eldridge Bros Fly Shop is a great resource for local saltwater angling information but you probably already knew that. Lots of spots along the coast to try once you figure out the best tides to fish them. I used to fly fish the Ogunquit for years but haven't seen the amount of bait as in the past. Always wanted to launch a canoe on an incoming tide and drift up through the flats being filled up but never got around to it.
I like the Gartside comment. There are a lot of memories in older rods that you will not collect if you are constantly "upgrading" to the newest toy. As you have noted before there's a lot of "hype" out there.
Phico
Heading up to the Ogunquit area for the long weekend. I am going to have to look up that location. Hoping to give the York River a try also.
Anonymous 7:36,
There's so much water up here to fish I'll be luck just to scratch the surface.
Ken
Anonymous 8:04
There is a walkway over the river about a mile upstream from the mouth. Get there at a very low tide and work downstream. Worked for me!
Ken
Ken very happy to read some new posts from you , as always love the recipe ideas! I'll be heading out next week for my annual camping trip on the Deerfield report to follow ! One good spot I know for tidal stripers is the Taylor river in NH pull in behind browns restaurant in Seabrook and look for the signs of bait and you will find the stripers, I've seen some big boys in there. Tight lines
Paul Fay
Paul,
Looking forward to your Deerfield report. I've been fishing just north of that place. Now I have another place to try out. Thank you!!!
Ken
KEN WHATS UP MISS YOU ON THE STREET NOBODY TO TALK FISHING WITH LOL SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ENJOYING YOURSELF THATS GOOD MY FRIEND. HOPE IT WORKS OUT FOR YOU. BRIAN P.S. FISH ON
Brian,
I'm still here learning about new spots. Actually I needed a break after 15+ years of writing two weekly entries and fishing for trout. I'll be back!!
Ken
good to see you still writing!! I have pretty extensive experience in the salt too...estuaries are where I go early in the season...April, May and June...once July comes I tend to go to the ocean. Beaches, Jetties and rock gardens until the fall migration then target mostly beaches or slightly offshore areas if you have a boat which you may very well want after a season or so. I was striper fishing the rocks along Marblehead Swampscott and Nahant over the long weekend out of my brothers boat and we had a blast throwing Purple and Black EP Peanut Bunkers...caught a ton of fish including a couple well over 30". If you don't already have Rich Murphy's Fly Fishing for Stiped Bass- I recommend it...its by far the best book on wade fishing for stripers especially the reading water part...It may be out of print (2007) but if you can find a used copy it would be well worth it. I learned a ton out of that book.
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